Portable electric light.



C. WACHTEL. PORTABLE ELETRIC LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED DEILS. 1914. Hamm.

Patented June 20, 1916.

nvento/c r m1, Mmm/MM, y

'PATENT FF@ CHARLES WACHTEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERSTATE ELECTRIC NOVELTY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Application led December 9, 1914.

- flash lights, and the object of the invention is to provide a novel and efcient flash-light adapted to be carried in the pocket and to have a leather or other flexible exterior casing holding the battery and other parts.

In accordance with my invention I provide novel means for closing the circuit through the battery and lamp and generally provide a novel construction at the forward Vend of the flash light adapted for use within a flexible exterior casing and embracing means for holding the reflector and lamp bulb and also means for assuredly engaging the shorter terminal of the battery and holding the latter in correct and fixed position, and also in a novel circuit closing switch or lever with means for releasably holding the same either in its normal inoperative position or in its operated position.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flash light embodying my invention, this figure showing thearticle in about its normal 'dimensions; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 3 and on a considerably enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the same on the dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the same on the dotted line 4-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detached side elevation of a metal frame I secure within the forward end of the flash light to receive the lamp, reflector and other features, this frame being shown in top View in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the circuit closery features adapted to receive, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper portion of the shorter terminal of the battery, and Fig. 7 is' a detached perspective view of a spring 'constituting one ofthe features of the circuit Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 20, 1916.

Serial No. 876,191.

closer mechanism, and its purpose being to engage the circuit closer switch and releasably hold the same in its respective positions.

In the drawings, 10 designates the exterior casing, and this casing will preferably be formed of leather and have an opening in its forward end to receive the lamp bulb and reflector and in its other end said casing will have a flap 11 flexibly connected with the body of the casing, at 12, and adapted to close said end and also lap upon the side of the body of the casing and be there detachably secured by a spring fastener 13 of the character commonly employed on gloves and the like.

lVithin the forward or outer end of the casing 10 I provide a metalframe 14 which extends throughout the width and length of said end of said casing and not only imparts rigidity to said end but serves to support the lamp-bulb, reflector and circuit closer mechanism. The frame 14 at its central portion is formed with a socket 15 which is somewhat funnel-shaped at its outer portion and threaded on its inner portion and into this socket 15 is screwed the threaded neck of the reflector 16, said reflector having a lateral annular flange 17 which extends beyond the opening 18 in the forward end of the casing 10 and serves to clamp the leather of said casing about said opening against the adjacent surfaces of the frame 14, whereby said frame becomes secured in the forward end of the casing. The lamp bulb 19 has a threaded socket 20, as usual, and this socket is screwed Within the threaded neck of the reflector 16. One terminal of the lamp engages, at 21, the laterally bent terminal 22 of the customary battery 23 which fills the casing 10 below said lamp and terminal 22 and is held in place by the flap 11 of the casing.

The frame, which is preferably of cast metal, is formed at one side of the socket 15 with a vertical slot 24 which, in itslupper portion, extends out to the outer adjacent edge of the frame and is bridged over by a bridging section'25. The lower outer portion of the slot 24 is closed by an integral portion 26 of the frame 14, and this portion 26 is formed With a vertical slot 27 and extends transversely through the entire Width slot 27 being above the upper' surface of the integral portion 26 of the frame so that the slot 27 at each side of the slot 24 has a closed upper end which is rounded or enlarged, somewhat, laterally beyond the sides of the slot 27 so as to properly receive and secure the structure shown in Fig. 6 which consists of an insulating strip of paper or the like 28 and an inner folded-over'strip of conducting material as brass 29. The strip of conducting material 29 is folded over upon itself and rounded in its fold, and thence the sides of said strip-extend downwardly on substantially parallel lines and are then deflected outwardly on'diverging lines, as may bel seen on reference to Figs. 2 and 6. The strip of insulating material closely fits upon the folded strip-of conducting material 29, and said strip of insulating. material 28 is cutaway at the center of its fold, as at 30, to expose the central portion of the upper folded part of the conducting strip 29. The uppervedge ofthe folded strips 28, 29 by being rounded form a beading which ex-V tends laterally beyond the vertical sides of said strips and is vadapted to the upper enlarged end of the slot 27. The folded strips 28,29, when in the condition shown in Fig. 6, are moved laterally into the slot 27, the lower defiecting end portions of said strips being below the integral part 26 of the frame 14 and the beaded upper folded edges of said strips being passed within the enlarged and conforming upper end of the slot 27.' When the folded strips 28, 29 ink the condition in which they are shown in Fig. 6 are inserted within the slot 27, the recess 30 in the strip 28 lies within the slot 24 of the frame 14 so as to expose the middle portion of the upper folded edge of the Conductor 29, while those portions of the strips 28, 29 at the opposite sides of the recess 30 enter within the slot portions of the frame 14, the slot 27 being extended at the opposite sides of the slot 24, and are insulated from said frame, the strip 28 serving to insulate the entire conducting strip 29 from the frame 14 but leaving exposed, at the recess 30, a short section of the folded edge of the conductor 29 for engagement with the circuit closing switch.

The opposite sides of the folded conducting strip 29 are slightly separated from each other, and they receive between them the shorter terminal 31 of the battery 23, this terminal 31, which is a thin metal strip, being inserted, on the application of the battery to the casing 10, in between the sides of the conductor 29. The lower diverging ends of the strips 28, 29, more especially those of the strip 29, serve to guide the terminal 31 into the fork formed by the conducting strip 29 on the insertion of the battery 23 in the casing 10, and this is a feature of considerable importance since the casing 10 is flexible andthe terminals 31 -of batteries vary slightly in position. With the use of the deflected lower ends on the Conducting stripv 29, however, the terminal 31 of all usual batteries adapted for miniature lighting and to the dimensions of the casing 10, will readily find its way in between the sides of the conductor 29 on the application of the battery to the casing.

A'ithin the upper portion of the slot 24 in the frame 14 is pivotally mounted, by means of a pin 32, a circuit closing switch 33, this switch having an outer exposed knob 34 and an inner edge 35 formed with transverse recesses or groo-ves. The switch 33 extends outwardly through a slot in the casing 10. and .carries a short reasonably stiff spring 36, the latter being held at one end and free at the other end and being directly over that portion of the conductor 29 which is exposed at the recess'3O in the insulating material 2 8, or in other words above that portion of the conducting strip 29 which is exposed within the slot 24. A spring 37 is secured within the inner vertical portion of the slot y24, and this spring hasan arm 38,

Fig. 7, which is flexed against the inner' end of the switch 33 and adapted to venter either the upper or the lower recess in said end of saidswitch, the purpose of the spring 37 in coperation with the recesses or grooves in the inner edge of the switch 33, being to retain said switch either in its upper inoperative position shown in Fig. 2 or in its lower operated position, which will be the position given to said switch when it is desired to complete the circuit through the lamp and battery. The switch 33 may be said to be in its upper position in Fig. 2, and it will be seen that the small spring 36 is clear of the upper folded edge of the conductor 29 and that therefore there is no circuit through the lamp and battery. When the user of the flash light presses downwardlv on the knob 34 of the switch 33, said switch will turn on its pivot pin 32 and the spring 36 will be carried into firm engagement with the conductor 29 and thus establish the circuit through the terminal 31. battery 23 and terminal 22 to oneterminal of the lamp and through the frame 14, reflecltor 16 and lamp socket 20 to the other terminal of the lamp. When the switch 33 is moved to its upper position shown in Fig. 2, the circuit through the battery and lamp will be broken, the spring 36 then leaving the conductor 29, and when the knob or outer end of the switch 33 is moved downwardly to carry the spring 36 against the exposed upper edge of the conductor 29, the circuit will be completed and the lamp will light. The arm 38 ofthe spring 37 will, by its engagement with the inner grooved edge of the switch 33, releasably hold said switch in either its upper inop Vso titi

erative position or in its lower operated position, as will be readily understood on reference to Fig. 2.

The construction hereinbefore described enables me to produce a very etticient pocket flash light of attractive character and having a fiexible exterior casing adapted to be readily opened to receive a new or discharge a worn-out battery, the structure within the forward end of the casing being well adapted to maintain the integrity of said end and to receive the lamp bulb, reflector and circuit closer features.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure b y Letters-Patent, is:

l. In a portable flash light having a casing containing a battery and an electric lamp engaging at one terminal one terminal of the battery, a frame occupying in exterior dimensions that end ot' the casing containing the lamp and being of conducting material and having a socket receiving the lamp and also at one side thereof a slot to receive the other terminal of the battery and a slot for a circuit switch, means in said first slot insulating said other terminal of the battery from said frame, a pivoted switch within the second slot formed in said frame and in electrical connection therewith and adapted on being moved in one direction to complete the circuit through said second battery terminal and to break the circuit thereat when moved in a reverse direction, and a spring fastened in said frame and engaging said switch for yieldingly holding the switch in either of its two positions, the outer portion of said switch being extended through a slot in said casing.

2. In a portable ash light having a casingcontaining a batteryand an electric lamp engaging at one terminal one terminal of the battery, a frame occupying in exterior dimensions that end of the casing containing the lamp and being of conducting material and having a socket receiving the lamp and also at one side thereof a slot to receive the other terminal of the battery and a slot for a circuit switch, said slots opening into each other throughout a portion of the first slot and said first slot being extended through the sides of said frame and having an enlarged upper end, two face to face strips folded within said rst slot and occupying the upper enlarged end thereof at their fold portions, the inner of said strips being of conducting material to directly engage the said other terminal of the battery and the other of said strips being of non-conducting material lining the said first slot in said frame and being cut away at its middle portion to expose the conducting strip, a pivoted switch within the second slot formed in said frame and in electrical connection therewith and adapted on being moved in one direction to complete the circuit through said conducting strip and said second battery terminal and to break the circuit thereat when moved in a reverse direction, and a. spring fastened in said frame and engaging said switch for yieldingly holding the switch in either of its two positions, the outer portion of said switch being extended through a slot in said casing.

3. In a portable flash light having a casing containing a battery and an electric lamp engaging at one terminal one terminal of the battery, a frame occupying in exterior Idimensions that end of the casing containing the lamp and being of conducting material and having a socket receiving the lamp and also at one side thereof a slot to receive the other terminal of the battery and a slot for a circuit switch, means in said first slot insulating said other terminal of the battery from said frame, a conducting strip on said other battery terminal exposed above said first slot, a pivoted switch within the second slot formed in said frame and having secured to it aleaf spring whose free end is above the exposed portion of said conductor on the battery terminal and is adapted on one movement of the switch to complete the circuit through said second battery terminal and to break the circuit thereat when said switch is moved in a reverse direction, and a spring engaging said switch for yieldingly holding the same in either of its two positions, the outer portion of said switch being extended through a slot in said casing.

l. A portable Hash light having a refiector and an electric lamp, comprising a flexible casing containing a battery and having a closing flap at one end and an opening at its forward end for the refiector and lamp, a frame of conducting material in the forward end of said casing and occupying in exterior dimensions said end and being secured thereto, and said frame having a threaded socket to receive the reector and lamp and a slot to receive the usual short terminal of the battery while the other terminal of the battery is engaged by one terminal of the lamp, and a manually operative circuit-closing lever pivoted in said frame having an exposed outer end, said reflector, frame and lamp having a threaded engagement with one another and said frame having a slot above the short terminal ofthe battery to receive said pivoted lever and also a spring for yieldingly holding said lever` in either of its two positions.

A portable flash light having a reflector and an electric lamp. comprising a flexible casing containing a battery and having a closing Hap at one end and an opening at its forward end for the reflector and lamp,a frame of conducting material in the forward end of said casing having a threaded socket to receive the refiector and lamp and a slot to receive the usual short terminal of the batter)v while the other terminal of the batter v is engaged lrv one terminal of the lamp, and a 1nanuall v operative circuit closing lever pivoted in said frame having an exposed outer end, said reieetor, franie and lanlp having;` a threaded engagement with on another and said refieetor having at its outer edge an annular iange to engage the.

10 material of said easing around the forward Witnesses ARTHUR MARION, CnAs. C. GILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. c. 

